Success Case Studies
Real examples of how businesses across different industries have successfully claimed R&D tax incentives and transformed their operations.
1. Existing Business
A mid-sized cattle and cropping farm facing rising input costs, inconsistent yields, and limited access to modern data-driven tools.
How R&D Can Help
Many farms run small experiments every year without realising they qualify as R&D. Trialling new feeding programs, irrigation methods, or disease-prevention systems can all be eligible if properly structured, tracked, and assessed.
Draft Example
The farm wants to improve animal health and feed conversion during hot months. They decide to prototype a sensor-based monitoring system for early detection of heat stress and trial a new automated watering schedule. Both are uncertain, experimental, and require iterative testing.
Implementation (Tech + Consulting + Record Keeping)
We design the experiment, set up sensor integrations, document hypotheses, and ensure all activities meet eligibility. We create a simple mobile record-keeping workflow farmers can use day-to-day while we maintain central technical documentation, evidence logs, and a year-end R&D summary.
Financial Impact
The project costs $150,000 for hardware, software, labour, advisory and trials. Under the R&D Tax Incentive, the farm receives an approximate $64,500 refundable tax offset (calculated at 43.5%).
R&D vs Non-R&D
Without R&D: All costs are ordinary operating expenses. No uplift. With R&D: A large portion of the cost is effectively reimbursed, allowing the farm to modernise and innovate without cash-flow pressure.
1. Existing Business
A boutique litigation firm wants to reduce administrative load and improve outcomes through automation and predictive tools, but development costs feel too high.
How R&D Can Help
Building legal tech — such as case-assessment algorithms, document-classification systems, or automated evidence extraction — often involves technical uncertainty and experimentation, which can qualify as R&D.
Draft Example
The firm wants to create a workflow system that predicts likely settlement ranges using past case patterns. Achieving this requires supervised learning, testing multiple data models, and validating accuracy — all activities with unknown outcomes.
Implementation (Tech + Consulting + Record Keeping)
We scope the experiment, design a prototype, integrate AI models, test false positives/negatives, and maintain all technical documentation. The firm continues its daily practice while we handle contemporaneous records, technical notes, experiment logs and end-of-year reports.
Financial Impact
Development and research cost $220,000 for engineering, trial models and data cleansing. The firm receives an approximate $95,700 refundable tax offset.
R&D vs Non-R&D
Without R&D: The firm bears full development cost with no offset. With R&D: Nearly half the innovation expense is effectively subsidised, making in-house legal tech development commercially viable.
1. Existing Business
A real estate agency managing hundreds of properties aims to improve tenant matching, reduce vacancy times, and automate maintenance scheduling.
How R&D Can Help
Experimenting with predictive models, automated scheduling tools, or new digital inspection methods may qualify as core or supporting R&D when the outcome is technically uncertain.
Draft Example
The agency wants to trial a system that automatically predicts optimal rent levels and identifies the highest-value tenant profiles based on market data. Achieving reliable accuracy requires experimentation, ML model iteration and controlled testing.
Implementation (Tech + Consulting + Record Keeping)
We design the experimental framework, build the prototype, iterate model accuracy, create an evidence trail, and maintain all R&D logs. Staff get a simple dashboard, while we handle the technical record-keeping needed to prove eligibility.
Financial Impact
$180,000 spent across software, data engineering, and trials. The agency receives an approximate $78,300 refundable tax offset.
R&D vs Non-R&D
Without R&D: Digital innovation becomes a sunk cost, often delayed indefinitely. With R&D: The government helps underwrite the cost of technological improvement, accelerating growth and operational efficiency.
1. Existing Business
A travel company wants to modernise bookings, personalise recommendations, and streamline supplier management, but development costs are high.
How R&D Can Help
Developing new algorithms, recommendation engines, or logistical platforms often involves technical uncertainty, a key requirement for R&D eligibility.
Draft Example
The company prototypes an AI engine that suggests personalised itineraries in real-time based on weather, availability, and traveller behaviour. Because the underlying algorithm's performance is uncertain, it requires iterative testing and qualifies as experimental development.
Implementation (Tech + Consulting + Record Keeping)
We run the technical design, prototype the AI logic, test and refine models, document the experimental process, and keep all R&D-compliant records. We also set up workflows so their team continues normal operations with minimal disruption.
Financial Impact
$250,000 in development costs across data engineering, UX prototyping, and model training. Resulting R&D offset: approximately $108,750 refundable credit.
R&D vs Non-R&D
Without R&D: Innovation is delayed due to cost. With R&D: A material portion of development is effectively funded by the government, enabling faster technology adoption and competitive advantage.
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